A customer at my shop in Boise said his old truck's rough idle was fixed by cleaning the MAF sensor with a $7 can of CRC cleaner, which made me realize I jump to replacing parts too fast.

Now I'm trying to start every diagnosis with the simplest, cheapest check first, so what's your go-to 'try this before you replace it' trick for common issues?

3 comments

3 Comments

patel.barbara1mo ago

Only seven bucks fixed a whole truck?

the_ryan1mo ago

Seriously, that's just for the fuse, not the actual repair.

barbaraschmidt7d ago

Honestly, a rough idle can be a dozen things. That MAF trick works sometimes, but it's not a magic fix. Before buying any parts, check for vacuum leaks with some carb cleaner. Spray it around hoses and listen for the engine to stumble. A loose or cracked hose is a super common culprit that gets missed. People hear "rough idle" and instantly buy new coils or sensors.

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